Projects

Keeping Score

Nearly 70 years after the Brown v. Board of Education decision, our public schools effectively remain segregated. And by some measures, New York City is the most segregated system in the country. For a group of high schools in Brooklyn, change has seemed impossible. Now they’ve put their hopes in an unlikely venue: sports.

The John Jay Education Campus in Park Slope, Brooklyn building houses four public high schools: three of the schools have a student body that’s majority Black and Latino, the fourth (a selective school) is disproportionately white and Asian. For a decade, the students played on separate teams but shared a gym but played on separate teams – sometimes even competing against each other.  This year, the athletics programs have merged. This is the story of how students and adults are grappling with enduring inequities, and how the merger is playing out on the girls varsity volleyball team. 

What does it mean to be an anti-racist team? 

In this 4-episode series, we’ll hear students, teachers, and parents experiencing the merger in real time; we’ll unpack the legacy of education policies in NYC; and we’ll sit courtside as the John Jay Jaguars compete for the city title.

“Keeping Score” is a co-production of WNYC Studios and The Bell.

  • Keeping Score: Part 4

    Jun 30, 2022
    After the Jaguars compete in the city championship, students and coaches ask: was it all worth it?
  • Keeping Score: Part 2

    Jun 16, 2022
    How did the schools in the John Jay building become divided in the first place?
  • Keeping Score: Part 1

    Jun 9, 2022
    Two sports programs – rivals under a single roof – are set to merge. Students ask what it will take for the building to live up to its new motto: “We Are One.”